After Plunging Off Cliff, Crash Victim Rescued 17 Hours Later

North Carolina man is recovering from significant injuries

A young man was rescued Wednesday, 17 hours after his car plunged 60 to 80 feet off a cliff in rural North Carolina.

Joseph Woodring, 21, drove his car off a curve in a road near Boone, N.C., and down a steep embankment Tuesday night, according to WSOC-TV. His car landed upside down, pinning Woodring underneath. Dale Watson and his family heard the crash around 9:30 p.m., but couldn't see anything wrong in the dark. It was 17 hours later, when Watson returned to the area, that he heard Woodring screaming, his legs crushed under the wreck.

Woodring told rescuers he fell asleep at the wheel. He's recovering from his injuries at an area hospital.